We present a microrobotic system for protein crystal micromanipulation
tasks. The focus in this report is on a task called streak seeding,
which is used by crystallographers to entice certain protein crystals
to grow. Our system features a set of custom designed micropositioner
end-effectors we call microshovels to replace traditional tools used
by crystallographers for this task. We have used micro-electrical
mechanical system (MEMS) techniques to design and manufacture various
shapes and quantities of microshovels. Visual feedback from a camera
mounted on the microscope is used to control the micropositioner as it
lowers a microshovel into the liquid containing the crystals for poking
and streaking. We present experimental results that illustrate the
applicability of our approach.